The country will never forget that home-coming. It was on a brilliant
day toward the end of July. The whole country side was present to bid
Lady Arleigh welcome--the tenants, servants, dependents, friends;
children strewed flowers in her path, flags and banners waved in the
sunlit air, there was a long procession with bands of music, there were
evergreen arches with "Welcome Home" in monster letters.
It was difficult to tell who was cheered most heartily--the fair young
wife whose beauty won all hearts, the noble husband, or the gallant earl
whose pride and delight in his daughter were so great. Lord Arleigh said
a few words in response to this splendid reception--and he was not
ashamed of His own inability to finish what he had intended to say.
There had never been such a home-coming within one's memory The old
house was filled with guests, all the _elite_ of the county were there.
There was a grand dinner, followed by a grand ball, and there was
feasting for the tenantry--everything that could be thought of for the
amusement of the vast crowd.
On that evening, while the festivities were at their height, Lord
Arleigh and his lovely young wife stole away from their guests and went
up to the picture-gallery.
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